Relief depicting two Assyrian archers from the period of Ashur-Nasir-Pal II (885-860 B.C.) from the Palace of Nimrud. Louvre, Paris
1884
photographic
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1884
photographic
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
You see carved stone panels showing two archers aiming their bows. They wear patterned robes and stand against carved trees. The figures look frozen mid-action, like a freeze-frame from a chase. These reliefs copy ancient Assyrian carvings from 3,000 years ago. They were photographed in the 1880s by unknown artists. A wealthy painter named John Singer Sargent once owned this exact photo. The group was later given to the Victoria and Albert Museum.
